Auckland's final Chimpanzee, Janie was PTS on 11th October 2013 at the grand old age of 60 Janie, Auckland Zoo's Chimpanzee Dies - national | Stuff.co.nz
Very sad news, condolences to all at Auckland Zoo, especially Christine, who must be devastated. I do hope they preserve her enclosure, it is so unlike anything else at Auckland, and would make a great historical exhibit near the park-like band rotunda area.
Yes. Great idea, I agree. I wonder what they will do with her phone? I'd suggest giving it to Christine maybe?
I think keeping it as a historical piece is a great idea. It's really the only bit of old school zoo left - this is a good thing - and it could be largely preserved as it is, kept as a walk through museum type affair with some pics of Janie and perhaps some signage of the history of how things were versus how they are now.
Stupid anthropomorphism - they destroyed such an old chimp, while reaching this age is unique case! Animals don't care what happens to their bodies. She better to have been preserved. I hate when iconic animals are treated as humans in the terms of 'burial'. The same thing happened with Snowflake the gorilla - the only albino of his kind known ever! He could 'rest in peace' in a museum storage instead of being cremated. But they loved him too much. No picture, one or thousand, can replace a real, well prepared specimen. Preserve your animals for posterity, and bury the unwanted soft tissue in a grave/urn to weep at.
Is there really much interest in a stuffed chimp? It's not as though people can't go to numerous other places to see living ones. I can see an argument for Snbowflake but Janie was just a normal chimp and what made her special to those who cared about her has gone now. What a horrible idea.
I agree, there is no real demand for stuffed chimps, and I can't see how an old chimp (not uniquely old either, there are older chimps, e.g. at Taronga) would be of any use stuffed. Auckland Zoo have sent specimens to be mounted upon death, including the last two Orang Utans which died at the zoo.
If the chimp is literally 'stuffed', there's no much interest, because this will be unrealistic. Modern taxidermy techniques are marvellous, the only issue is that apes are not so abundant as deer are... Check out how Darli the orangutan from Auckland Zoo was preserved. She is no less special than Janie was, just lived a very short life. When I saw the picture of a finished mount in the web, it looked just like a real animal photographed at studio on a branch, if not a somewhat fixed gesture. The belly cut from autopsy is totally invisible - and for a bald chimp, it would look as good. A ?Secret Revealed? from the Museum freezer | Auckland Museum blog And older animals offer more to research beacuse their body strictures are often changed by aging - for example, the brain & skeleton. With such attitude, it's time to ask museums to finally bury all their apes (and humans), and never bring in more. Dead animals are not less facsinating than living ones, and we shouldn't feel guilty for preserving any of them, be it a roadkill or a zoo resident.
What has happened to Janie's old enclosure? Has it remained largely untouched since her passing or has it been demolished? With regards to the Tea Party Chimpanzee, I understand their only living descendent is Sally (1970). Does anyone know details of any other offspring born to the Tea Party Chimpanzee at Auckland Zoo besides Suzie (1964-2011)? I have read there was a baby born 1964 who died shortly after birth (implied to be Josie's) which makes me think there may have been others??? It's sad the genes of Auckland Zoo's Tea Party Chimpanzee have never been passed on. Wellington Zoo's Tea Party Chimpanzee have numerous descendents.
